ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the historical, cultural, and musical overview of Sub-Saharan Africa. It then provides in-depth studies of varied musical traditions, followed by an "aural analysis" of the sound and prominent musical elements. Music is a vital aspect of the daily lives of people throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Even the most mundane tasks, such as canceling stamps at the post office, pounding millet, or walking are made enjoyable by putting them into the rhythms of music. The importance of the collective community that characterizes traditional African life is reflected in three main activities associated with music: communal dance, call-and-response singing, and the use of polyrhythm in instrumental performance. Polyrhythm is the predominant structure for organizing instrumental (as well as some vocal) musical performance in sub-Saharan Africa. For centuries, the polyrhythmic music traditions of sub-Saharan Africa were largely incomprehensible to outsiders.
